An Al-Anon member 29 years since June 1984, Linda was not always grateful during her life. She knows now gratitude is love in action. She did not grow up in alcoholism but did always want things her way. Drinking took her out of control.

She waited 7 years for her college boyfriend to propose and final she proposed to him - even though he had lost his license and drank all the time.

From 1977 to 1984 they got sicker and tried many ways to fix him. He convinced one psychiatrist that she was the sick one. She got to the point where she was ready to leave him if he drank again. She came to Al-Anon and found out how sick she was. He started going to AA but drank again within 90 days and eventually died from the disease.

She had to take the focus off the alcoholic and put it on herself. She divorced him when she found a cute guy in AA but after the divorce she did not catch him. She was hunting somebody to fix.

The steps taught her she did the best she could with what she had but now she knows better. There is a difference between leadership and control.

She found a healthy relationship with a long term older member of AA, Rip, that is a warm and touching story.